Tensely, Mal sat hunched up in a ragged, worn chair outside the emergency room. The eye-watering smell of disinfectant and pine air freshener filled the air, causing Mal to wrinkle his nose profusely. He squirmed in his seat, unable to stay still for one moment as his fingers impatiently tapped on the seat of the chair. Mal brushed back his messy, tousled hair with his fingers and sighed sorrowfully, his eyes flickering to the sign that proclaimed "Emergency" on the door. Natara… he mused mournfully in his head, you have to get out of this alive. For me. Please…

"Mal?"

A loud, clear voice rang through Mal's head and interrupted his train of thoughts. He grasped the arms of the chair in a death grip and levered himself up. Spinning around swiftly on one foot, he squinted at the blurry mass on the far side room inching towards him.

"Kai…?"

Kai bounded towards him with a tinge of sadness in his lopsided gait. "In the flesh!" He tried to sink himself into one of the armchairs, missed completely and ended up sprawled on the waxed linoleum floor. "Um, Mal-ligator…?" Mal glared at him. "Oops, sorry. Forgot you didn't like the name. Mal, want to give me a hand?" Shaking his head, Mal stretched out a broad hand in the general direction of Kai. Clutching it, Kai jerked himself to his feet roughly. "Wow, that was… awkward…" he stated uncomfortably, brushing down his flamboyantly coloured trousers. Mal smiled unconvincingly, the corners of his lips tugging only a centimeter away from their original position. His eyes remained ice-cold, full of misery and grief. "Mal…" Kai murmured, brushing his hand over Mal's shoulder, "Are… Are you O.K.?" Mal swallowed deeply and diverted his eyes downwards, his eyes bulging out with unshed tears. "The truth?" he whispered brokenly. "I'm a mess." He tipped his head upwards and proceeded to look Kai in the eye. "They said…" Mal could barely choke out the words. "They said…That she lost a lot of blood, and it was a lot more probable that she would… die than that she would survive. They said she only had a slim chance of survival." Mal's mind flipped back through his memories to half an hour prior, and remembered in crystal clear definition.

Her face was pale, so pale, the colour of polished white marble. Gripping her hand tightly with one hand, and cradling his own head with another, Mal crouched beside Natara's limp body, trembling ever so slightly. His hands were covered with blood, Natara's blood, and he stared at it, willing it to disappear back into her veins, to make her happy, healthy and whole again.

That's all he wanted.

Why didn't he react faster? Why didn't he just shoot the man before he could shoot Natara? Mal knew that he could have done something to save her. He knew that when it came down to it, this was his entire fault.

Suddenly the ambulance lurched forward drunkenly and stopped, the sound of the siren wailing slowly into silence. The doors creaked open, sending a steady stream of moonlight into the dark vehicle. The ambulance drivers rushed in swiftly and grabbed the sides of Natara's gurney. Mal thrusted himself off the floor, and clutched at Natara's wrist as they careened Natara down the ramp and into the vibrantly lit hospital. He stroked her hair, gently and tenderly as she was rushed down the corridor towards the emergency room. "Natara…" he whispered softly, under his breath so no one but him could hear. "I… I love you. Please don't leave me here alone." They rounded the corner and came to a abrupt halt outside the stark, dazzlingly white door that led into the emergency room. "Detective..." the doctor murmured. "You'll have to leave her now." Mal nodded, unable to speak. Bending down, he brushed his lips against Natara's cold, smooth forehead. "We will do everything possible to revive her, we promise you," the doctor looked at him tenderly, and wheeled her away from Mal. Mal just stood there, rooted to the lino, as Natara disappeared from view, and maybe even his life.

"Mal... Mal?"

Mal jerked his head violently, as if emptying his heads of thoughts, and brought himself back into the present. Kai had both of his hands resting on Mal's shoulders, and was swaying them back and forth. He glared at Kai and shoved his hands off them. Sheepishly, Kai knotted his fingers behind his back and twisted his hands around. "Sorry Mal..." he chided softly. "I know I'm not good at this, um... feelings and emotions stuff, but I wanted to say... That I'm, um... I'm here for you. And I know how close you and Agent Hottie Boom Bottie," "Natara." Mal interjected firmly. "OK, Natara, are, and I know this must be hitting you pretty hard." Mal blinked heavily, letting his eyelids drop over his eyes for a few precious seconds. Opening them, Mal realized how touched he was at Kai's unusual display of concern. "Kai," he began sadly.

"Detective Fallon?"

Hearing the deep tenor of the doctor ring through the corridor, Mal pirouetted and strode rapidly towards the doctor, clearing the distance between them in a few seconds. Breathing heavily, Mal scrutinized the doctor's face for any sign of relief or distress, his eyes flickering over every point of his face, and finding nothing. "Is she O.K.?" Mal frantically asked, his hands scrabbling for the doorknob of the door he came out of. "Natara? Is she?" Placing a gentle hand on Mal's shoulder, he tried to slowly ease Mal down, to no avail. Sighing deeply, the doctor dropped his hand and gestured with his chin towards the door. "Come with me, and I'll explain." Mal didn't rest a second. Side stepping the doctor, he rammed the door open and sprinted through the confusing maze of corridors. "Detective Fallon, WAIIIiiiiiit..." the doctor shouted, trailing off. Mal kept sprinting, stopping for nothing, just wanting to see Natara. Skidding to a standstill, he noticed a flash of coffee coloured hair and olive skin. His heart lurching to his throat, he realized that Natara was residing in a bed in that very room. "Hhhhhhh... Detective Fallon..." The doctor loomed behind him, gasping for breath. "Waiiiiii... Wait..." Ignoring him profusely, Mal shouldered the door open with such a force that it impacted with the pristine wall with a mighty CRACK!

The scene that met him nearly caused him drop to his knees and sob uncontrollably.

Natara was lying on her back, her ebony hair spread out behind her head like a fan. She had a wad of bandages wrapped around her upper abdomen, stained the deep crimson of a lipstick. Her hands were resting lightly on her chest, one on top of the other, the sapphire ring she always wore glinting in the harsh light.

Mal could have taken any of these things on their own.

But what got him was the many whirring machines wired up to her. The IV poking into her skin. The machine that constantly beeped and was stuck in her abdomen.

And the machine showing her heart beat rate.

"She... She lost a lot of blood." Mal heard the doctor as he sloped up towards him, an expression of mourn on his face. "She... She's in a coma." Mal felt the world around him spin and he pressed his palm deep into a table next to him for support. "A... A what?" he whispered. Mal stole a glance at Natara, feeling sick to the bone as he saw how cold and still she lay. "A coma." The doctor stepped forward hesitantly and muttered the words tragically. "We... we tried our best. But she still has a glimmer of hope. She could 'wake up' at any time." Mal spun around and furiously glared at the doctor. "And is that supposed to make me feel any better?" he angrily pounded the table, denting it slightly. "She's in a coma. But don't worry. Either she'll wake up, or she'll die." Mal sank, jelly-limbed into a nearby seat, his eyes wet with hot tears. The doctor crossed over. His face was pale and drawn with worry. "Yes, I understand Mr. Fallon. But it's all we have." Straightening, he cleared his throat and drew his eyes to the overhead wall clock. "In any event, I think you should go home and have a rest. You are probably real..." "No." Mal shook his head firmly and gulped. "I'm... I'm staying the night." The doctor cocked an eyebrow, but didn't protest any more. "Fine." he walked over to the door, and paused with his hand on the doorknob. "If something goes wrong, just give me a holler. I'll be in the next room." He slowly opened the door with a creak, and pushed it shut.

Mal shut his eyes, squeezing them tight as a single tear escaped and trickled down his stubbly cheek.

"Oh Natara," he murmured brokenly, "What did I get you into?"